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A man identified as Tochukwu Okwueze has lost his entire family after they reportedly inhaled fume from generating set in Edo State.

Okwueze’s wife and five children were found dead by neighbours yesterday. But the man is presently in hospital battling for his life. The incident happened at Akpata Street in Egor local government area of the state.

The family was said to have put on the generating set in their kitchen on Monday night and left it running throughout the night. It was gathered that neighbours raised the alarm when the bodies of the family were seen lying lifeless in the apartment after the door was forced opened.

The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Johnson Kokumo, confirmed the incident. He, however, advised residents to be careful of where they put their generating sets in their houses.

“It is pathetic. Their father is recuperating but I advise residents to be careful about where they place their generators because the fume is dangerous,” he told The Guardian yesterday evening.

Father of the deceased children, Okwueze, was reportedly rushed to a hospital in the Eweka area of Benin for medical attention, after he was found in a state of coma.

A source at the Central Hospital said the bodies were brought to the hospital at about 10:00a.m. few minutes after ward round by the Medical Director, Dr. Philip Ugbodaga and his team.

One of the relatives of the deceased, simply identified as Vincent, explained: “My younger one called me from Lagos and asked me what was happening. I said that I did not know. So, he told me to go to the house, that something not pleasing to the ears had just happened.

“So, I call her (deceased woman) line. Somebody picked the call and said that they (victims) slept and did not wake up. The whole family was affected, but the police said the father survived. They said that though his case was serious, there was the need to rush him to University of Benin Teaching Hospital, and that they would call me later. It is a family of seven. The youngest is a set of twins.”

It would be recalled that two people said to be fashion designers in Benin died after inhaling fume from a generating set in December last year.

The deceased lifeless bodies were said to have been discovered by operatives of Esigie Divisional Police station after the shop door was forced open.
The victims allegedly put on the generator inside their shop while working at night along Second East Circular Road.

It was said that one of the victims, simply identified as Obianuju, invited her friend to her shop to work with her deliver materials on time to her customers. Obianuju allegedly invited her friend for help after her apprentices had turned down her request to work through the night.